Method of making briquets for producing oxygen.



NITE STATS FlEIQE.

GEORGE FRANCOIS JAUBER-T, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

METHOD OF MAKING BRIQUETS FOR PRODUCING OXYGEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 23, 1906.

No Drawing.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Serial No. 313,325.

To all whom it may concern:

- Briquets for Producing Oxygen, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to a modification of the process describedin my copending application Serial No. 298,368, filed November 17, 1905,and has for its object to reduce the proportion of combustiblesubstances incorporated in the blocks or briquets and to increase theresistance of these briquets to crumbling. In that. application I havedescribed a process for the preparation of oxygen, or of gases rich inoxygen, by kindling in an appropriate vessel a mixture formedsubstantially of a combustible material and of a large excess ofperchlorate or nitrate, and, if desired, of inert materials. In that.process a portion of the oxygenated salts employed served to support thecom bastion of the combustible material and the oxygen was liberatedfrom the remainder of the oxygenated salt by the heat of combustion. Forthe purpose of reducing the intensity of the combustion a quantity ofinert material such as infusorial earth might be added. The mixtureemployed in this process has heretofore been formed into blocks orbriquets by compression in a dry state.

In point of fact the briquets obtained by the compression in a dry stateof perchlorate,

nitrate or other salt rich in oxygen with a pulverulent combustible suchas carbon do not present sutticient cohesion to prevent their crumblingat the least shock which renders it exceedingly difiicult to. handle orship them from place to place. In addition it is almost impossible evenby employing mixtures 111 the form of an impalpable powder to obtain bydry compression blocks which are sufliciently homogeneous for eachparticle of combustible material to be in immediate contact with thenecessary quantity of particles capable of supporting combustion. Thecombustion is therefore defective and in order that it may be uniformlyestablished it necessitates a high proportion of combustible materialcontaminating the oxygen by the products of its combustion. Further, thegas produced, in endeavoring to liberate itself, causes deformations andswellings of the briquets. The inventor has succeeded in overcomingthese difficulties by employing the perchlorate (or other oxygenatedsalt) and other ingredients not in a dry state but in adding thereto aconsiderable quantity of Water or other solvent which may even exceedone half the Weight. of oxy-.

genated salt employed. This water dissolves a small part of theperchlorate, which being dissolved, penetrates uniformly throughout themass. and after evaporation, agglomerates the briquet precisely in then'ianner of a cement, imparting to it the necessary cohesion. Theparticles of combustible being uniformly covered with material capableof supporting combustion, the combustion takes place uniformly with lesscarbon and the oxygen obtained is therefore purer. Finally theevaporation of the solvent leaves pores in the blocks or briquetspermitting of the free liberation of the gas produced without causingany considerable deformations of the mass.

The preparation of the paste serving to form the briquets may beetl'ected either by preparing a solution of perchlorate (or otheroxygenated salt employed) to which the various ingredients are added insuccession, or by adding the water or other solvent directly to theother ingredients mixed in a dry state. In the first case, in a quantityof water equal to about half the weight of the perchlorate to beemployed a small part (5% for example) of the whole of the perchlorateto be employed is dissolved, then to the solution so obtained carbon inpowder and the inert material serving to modify the rapidity of thecombustion are added. In this manner an exceedingly fluid paste isobtained and this is Worked until complete homogeneity is obtained. Therest of the perchlorate in a very finely powdered condition is thenadded and the mass is kneaded, in a mechanical mixer for example, untila.

erfectly uniform paste is obtained which 18 cut into cakes and thenthoroughly dried.

If an efficient mixing or kneading apparatus is available the secondmethod indicated may be adopted, the previous solution of a portion ofthe perchlorate or other oxygen l I r a thorough kneading" or mixing isefiected.

The paste so obtained is then cut into cakes or briquets and dried. Forexample, 100

kilograms of perchlorate of otash (KClOQ in as fine a powder as possib emay be mixed in a dry state with3-k1lograms of powdered wood charcoaland 20 kilograms of calcined and ulverized infusorial earth. The mixtureis then bolted in prder to render it perfectly homogeneous; it is thenintroduced with 50 to liters of water into a kneading apparatus which isthen started. As soon as the paste is homogeneous, cakes of the desiredform are prepared precisely as if modeling-clay were being dealt-withaudit is then dried. Numerous experiments have shown th inventor that ofall the oxygenated salts perchlorate of potash gives the best results;the other perchlorates give inferior results while the nitrates giveacid gas mixtures difficult to purify. These different salts may,however, likewise be utilized.

I do not claim herein the product which results from the carrying out ofthe abovedescribed process, for the reason that that product is claimedin my co-pending application, Serial Number 313,509, filed April 24th,1906.

hat I claim is '1. The method herein described of reparing dry,cemented, porous, combustible, non-ex )losivc briquets for producingoxygen or gases rich in oxygen, which consists in forming a paste of anoxygenated salt, a solvent of such salt, a quantity of com bustiblematerial limited to that necessary to produce, by combining with a'smallproportion of the oxygen, the necessary temperature of reaction fordissociating the main mass of oxygenated salt of the finished briquet,adding, further, a small quantity of inert material, molding saidmixture into briquets and drying the briquets, whereby a sufficientquantity of the oxygenated salt to burn the combustible material isbrought into intimate association therewith, and upon the evaporation ofthe solvent the briquet is rendered porous and the particles thereof arecemented together; substantially as described.

2. The method herein described of prebriquet, adding further a smallquantity of inert material, working the said mixture until it forms ahomogeneou" intimately mixing with said '1 mainder of the oxygenated satthe resulting mass into briquets,' the briquets,- whe reby a suflicientqua the oxygenated "salt to-Iburn the comb material is brought intointimate association therewith, and u h n the evaporation of the solventthe briquet is rendered porous and the particles thereof areeementedtogether; substantially as described! 3. The method herein described ofproducing dry, cemented,..porous, combustible, non-explosive br'i'quetsfor producing oxygen, or gases rich oxygen, which consists in forming apaste containing one hundred parts of finely powdered perchlorateof potasht three parts of powdered charcoal, twenty parts of ga-lci'ned andpulyerized infusorial earth, and a solvent of the perchlorate of. potashin sufiicientquantity to render the mass pasty, molding the resultantmass into briquets and drying'the briquets, whereby a sufiicientquantity oii-the perchlorate of potash to burn the charcoal is broughtinto intimate contact therewith, and

upon the eva oration of the solvent the briquet is ren ered porous andthe'particles thereof are cemented together; substantially as described.I 4

In testimony whereof I have hereunto placed my hand and seal at Paris,France, I

this seventh day of April 1906.

GEORGE FRANQOIS JAUBERT. In the presence of HANSON C. Coxn,

HENRY SGHWAB.

